With the recently signed December 15th player restrictions deadline now passed, the NBA trade market continues to be abuzz with rumors and conversations surrounding players from across the league. Whether it’s All-Star veterans Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic from Chicago or Jimmy Butler from Miami, reports suggest there could be significant shakeup in the NBA before the trade deadline.

One of the teams rumored to be making a trade for one of these stars is the Denver Nuggets, who are looking for the missing piece to capitalize on what appears to be another MVP season for Nikola Jokic. Head coach Michael Malone recently weighed in on the rumors and gave his opinion on reports that Michael Porter Jr. could be on the verge of leaving.

“Yes, a lot of it is noise. I don’t know where he comes from,” Malone said. “You see different things that are out there and you never want those things to get out there. I talked to Calvin (Booth) and Calvin has a good feel for all of these things. Whenever these things happen, he’s in touch with the guys and their agents to let them know what’s real and what’s not.

Even though Malone has put an end to trade rumors, that by no means precludes the Nuggets from engaging in the trade market in some way. Porter Jr. still remains the necessary piece for someone like LaVine to be included in a potential deal, as Denver will need his salary to complete the deal.

Denver is currently watching Porter Jr. have one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting over 50% from the field.

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